Worth All Of My Heart
by Starshadow
Summary: Sanosuke's thoughts as he revives from a dangerous wound. More details inside the fic.


Title: Worth All of My Heart  
  
Part: 1/1  
  
Author: Starshadow Rivaulx  
  
Genre: Het  
  
Pairing: Sanosuke/Megumi  
  
Rating: G  
  
Author's Notes: This little short traces its origins to the turn of events related in Episodes 28 and 29 of the anime series. It's a companion piece to "A Life in the Hand", which dealt with Megumi's POV while watching over Sanosuke. As he revives from being made into Saitou Hajime's "calling card", Sano reflects on what it is to have Megumi in his life.  
  
Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin characters and universe are the property of the Watsuki Nobuhiro and various copyright owners. Characters borrowed for the love and joy of the writing, and not for purposes of acquiring lucre. As with all our fics, while our goal is to stay as in character as possible, we cry "mea maxima culpa" to any discrepancies that the discerning reader may find.  
  
=-=-=  
  
My first thought coming out of oblivion was that maybe, this time, I was well and truly dead. Didn't last long, though -- the dull fire somewhere in the vicinity of my left shoulder told me that I was still alive. That, and the soreness over every square inch of my body, was a damn good feeling.   
  
I'm alive, all right -- no way anyone would waste good blankets on the likes of me. Hah. Gambler, drinker, lazy, fool, all-around useless baka. I've heard them all, and they're right. Never been much use to anyone, not until Jou-chan decided it was worth putting up with me -- and I know she only does it because Kenshin considers me a friend.   
  
Feh. I may be alive, but I doubt it will be for much longer, in this air. Gods, what kind of herbs did Genzai-sensei stick into the fire? On top of all the other pains, I feel a headache coming along to join the fun. I crack my eyes open, wondering where I am. It takes a while for them to focus, but it soon becomes obvious that I'm in one of the Kamiya dojo's spare bedrooms.   
  
Kami-sama, but my head hurts. It's like moving a millstone to turn it. Why do I even try?   
  
Because I can smell her. I can smell the scent of her perfume underneath all these herbs. It's the scent of that flower she loves so much -- and there's only one person I know who wears that scent in that particular way, like the freshness of trees after a summer storm.   
  
Owww...I manage to turn my head, and very, very carefully, so as not to jar my eyes out of their sockets, look around for the source of the scent. She has to be here. In all the time I've known her, she's never witheld her medical skills from anyone who really needed them. Heck, if anyone is in a position to know, I certainly am, all the times she's made me come to the clinic to get patched up.   
  
Where the hell...aha, there she is. Pale in the fading light, and asleep. Wearing the tiny frown that creases her forehead when she's busy concentrating on mending broken bodies. It's been a hard time for her, that's obvious. She's got her feet tucked up beneath her, hands open and outstretched on her lap. Capable hands. I've felt their gentleness smoothing salves and ointments over my assorted bruises. I've also felt their strength -- the woman can pack a mean wallop when she wants to. Not that I never gave her cause. I call her any number of names, myself. Lady doctor. Fox -- and that one really fits, especially when her eyes flash in sudden inspiration; you can practically see the ears come out of her head.   
  
But I've never really called her by the one thing she has been to me. Yeah, she does mean something to me, all right? More than just free meals and a doctor on call at all hours. She's a class act, a lady with more honor in her little finger than many men have in their whole bodies. Folks call me crazy, stopping her kodachi with my bare hands, that night. I'd do it all over again, though. She's given me quite a bit of grief since then; on the other hand, her friendship and respect are worth all my heart can give in return.  
  
In spite of my loud mouth, the drinking, the gambling, the fights -- she is a blessing to me. And the funny thing is, her name says it all.   
  
Blessing.   
  
Megumi.  
  
[[owari]] 


End file.
